


[Fandom stats] Sherlockian fandom stats cheat sheet (UnlockedCon 2015)

by toastystats (destinationtoast)



Series: Fandom Stats [74]
Category: Elementary (TV), Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Fanwork Research & Reference Guides, Meta, Nonfiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-25
Updated: 2015-04-25
Packaged: 2019-09-19 18:58:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17007333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/destinationtoast/pseuds/toastystats
Summary: A quick overview of some interesting features of Sherlockian fandoms, as of 2015.





	[Fandom stats] Sherlockian fandom stats cheat sheet (UnlockedCon 2015)

**Author's Note:**

> Originally [posted on Tumblr](http://destinationtoast.tumblr.com/post/117377174389/sherlockian-fandom-stats-cheat-sheet), though I've made a few minor clarifications and updates here.

In preparation for the UnlockedCon “Data, Data, Data!” panel (which we’ll soon be posting transcript/notes from), I put together a quick guide to Sherlockian fandom stats.  Most of this comes from the longer set of [**slides**](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3366506) I co-presented at **[Sherlock Seattle 2015](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3366506).**  


## How big are the Sherlock Holmes-inspired fandoms?

Big!!  The BBC Sherlock fandom in particular is one of the biggest on both AO3 and FFN. 

[](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNfIAP2nBhjNxva3s1oYWyv_nDghuCmNa8INN4wE96IKzjWYKtksd627_5d-6cisA/photo/AF1QipOTanonIdkwKtfxoc069WfZK-eX0moJt1sKHghB?key=UzBPVlZCQ3p1S1VnWHVkM2tDR3lQNGs2VmRBM3BR)

But although BBC Sherlock is one of the biggest, it’s also an easy time to find fanworks in all sorts of other Sherlock Holmes-inspired fandoms!

[](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNfIAP2nBhjNxva3s1oYWyv_nDghuCmNa8INN4wE96IKzjWYKtksd627_5d-6cisA/photo/AF1QipNLkKRJJvZEYYu5MZmzicNVlbFw1GKetvStudrV?key=UzBPVlZCQ3p1S1VnWHVkM2tDR3lQNGs2VmRBM3BR)

## What’s unusual about Sherlockian fandom?

[](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNfIAP2nBhjNxva3s1oYWyv_nDghuCmNa8INN4wE96IKzjWYKtksd627_5d-6cisA/photo/AF1QipOU4TjnOFSNnhuV-1WLuzQEyIZrLbsT0SdXCuh_?key=UzBPVlZCQ3p1S1VnWHVkM2tDR3lQNGs2VmRBM3BR)

[](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNfIAP2nBhjNxva3s1oYWyv_nDghuCmNa8INN4wE96IKzjWYKtksd627_5d-6cisA/photo/AF1QipOWm0vGI2b_ih7UR05xXHgjMwqMX0b8iCuQW1G5?key=UzBPVlZCQ3p1S1VnWHVkM2tDR3lQNGs2VmRBM3BR)

(This was pre-Jupiter Ascending.)

[](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNfIAP2nBhjNxva3s1oYWyv_nDghuCmNa8INN4wE96IKzjWYKtksd627_5d-6cisA/photo/AF1QipOiEQ8GGXFPXPwzkqa1uK7KKwygV-LhenmJPHcn?key=UzBPVlZCQ3p1S1VnWHVkM2tDR3lQNGs2VmRBM3BR)

## Which ACD stories have most influenced fandom?

[](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNfIAP2nBhjNxva3s1oYWyv_nDghuCmNa8INN4wE96IKzjWYKtksd627_5d-6cisA/photo/AF1QipM1cibfWM9ESRR_bTWQXTMImApJGMuqbVTpd4ma?key=UzBPVlZCQ3p1S1VnWHVkM2tDR3lQNGs2VmRBM3BR)

Find out more about **[which stories](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1pgpITGSU0MAdAzmwgBCvm5Q7gKWutsZGCmSg2rEy0eU/edit#slide=id.g57c573e4e_073) **show up most in which Sherlockian fandoms!  


## What types of fanfic are popular?

It depends whether you mean to read, or to write...  These are the most common tags in the BBC Sherlock fandom (red) and the Elementary fandom (yellow):

[](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNfIAP2nBhjNxva3s1oYWyv_nDghuCmNa8INN4wE96IKzjWYKtksd627_5d-6cisA/photo/AF1QipPyIfBMiT5RewOBVX-6Yo5d2lH24Cz-D3CY3Zrv?key=UzBPVlZCQ3p1S1VnWHVkM2tDR3lQNGs2VmRBM3BR)

On the other hand, here are some of the tags that receive the most kudos per fic, although some of these tags are fairly uncommon (I’ve only done this analysis for BBC Sherlock so far):

[](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNfIAP2nBhjNxva3s1oYWyv_nDghuCmNa8INN4wE96IKzjWYKtksd627_5d-6cisA/photo/AF1QipNQhBEp87YlnHZ33r-jcs6RDSgvCliyhA2BhVrR?key=UzBPVlZCQ3p1S1VnWHVkM2tDR3lQNGs2VmRBM3BR)

Learn more **[here](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1pgpITGSU0MAdAzmwgBCvm5Q7gKWutsZGCmSg2rEy0eU/edit#slide=id.g57c4e4376_0587)**!

## What AUs and crossovers are popular?

These are the most commonly used AU tags in the Sherlock fandom (e.g., “Alternate Universe - Teenagers”):

[](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNfIAP2nBhjNxva3s1oYWyv_nDghuCmNa8INN4wE96IKzjWYKtksd627_5d-6cisA/photo/AF1QipONQI3SPPj-ScC6c6Ps4pI8lS1fpKk6svKtrTR7?key=UzBPVlZCQ3p1S1VnWHVkM2tDR3lQNGs2VmRBM3BR)

These are some of the most common crossover fandoms:

[](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNfIAP2nBhjNxva3s1oYWyv_nDghuCmNa8INN4wE96IKzjWYKtksd627_5d-6cisA/photo/AF1QipM9DdpF1mtLRr2wKL2RZS-1fobR63cJ75P52ZMv?key=UzBPVlZCQ3p1S1VnWHVkM2tDR3lQNGs2VmRBM3BR)

Both Sherlock and Elementary fandoms have more fusions/crossovers than average for AO3 -- and Elementary crosses over with Sherlock a lot:

[](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNfIAP2nBhjNxva3s1oYWyv_nDghuCmNa8INN4wE96IKzjWYKtksd627_5d-6cisA/photo/AF1QipPbf7sE85juC1am8UQVw9xb53QBUogVHNFgrYNL?key=UzBPVlZCQ3p1S1VnWHVkM2tDR3lQNGs2VmRBM3BR)

Find out more **[here](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1pgpITGSU0MAdAzmwgBCvm5Q7gKWutsZGCmSg2rEy0eU/edit#slide=id.g57d1ece77_010).**

## What’s the deal with Omegaverse anyway?

You may have run across Sherlockian fanworks using the tag “Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics”, or “Omegaverse.”  ([ **Fanlore page**](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Alpha/Beta/Omega)) The Sherlock fandom produces Omegaverse fic at a rate far higher than the average fandom -- in fact, it produces more than any other fandom on AO3 (though Supernatural + Supernatural RPF put together produce slightly more)!

[](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNfIAP2nBhjNxva3s1oYWyv_nDghuCmNa8INN4wE96IKzjWYKtksd627_5d-6cisA/photo/AF1QipNUPd6AqCLwJQMwYFgSEKS1YkBfGX_o0A_-vNWl?key=UzBPVlZCQ3p1S1VnWHVkM2tDR3lQNGs2VmRBM3BR)

Here are some [more **Sherlock Omegaverse stats**](http://destinationtoast.tumblr.com/post/99424121089/omegaverse-in-the-sherlock-fandom) **.**  


## How big is the Holmes/Watson ship?

Fricking huge -- one of the very biggest ships on AO3:

[](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNfIAP2nBhjNxva3s1oYWyv_nDghuCmNa8INN4wE96IKzjWYKtksd627_5d-6cisA/photo/AF1QipNWD2Vnj5fjuHTo0TXxWzmRY53TvSux5uIovyJs?key=UzBPVlZCQ3p1S1VnWHVkM2tDR3lQNGs2VmRBM3BR)

On AO3, about 50% of the fanworks in the Sherlock fandom (and most other Sherlockian fandoms) are devoted to this ship:  


[](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNfIAP2nBhjNxva3s1oYWyv_nDghuCmNa8INN4wE96IKzjWYKtksd627_5d-6cisA/photo/AF1QipPoAlZWlAyzp0zP6dXqayE06ABZwHUJD4iTB8ck?key=UzBPVlZCQ3p1S1VnWHVkM2tDR3lQNGs2VmRBM3BR)

The most common rare pairs differ a lot by what site you’re on:  


[](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNfIAP2nBhjNxva3s1oYWyv_nDghuCmNa8INN4wE96IKzjWYKtksd627_5d-6cisA/photo/AF1QipNqoB-n6WyVOsg-ESR-NypUVM47sqDCK_ONAbgh?key=UzBPVlZCQ3p1S1VnWHVkM2tDR3lQNGs2VmRBM3BR)

Find out more about Sherlockian rare pairs, poly ships, shipping, and asexuality **[here](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1pgpITGSU0MAdAzmwgBCvm5Q7gKWutsZGCmSg2rEy0eU/edit#slide=id.g57d1ece77_020).**  Learn how to find rare pair fic on AO3 **[here](http://destinationtoast.tumblr.com/post/63583070389/how-to-ao3-searches-ship-tags-on-ao3-and-rare).**  (I also have some Tumblr stats in the works.)  


## What are the trends in the Sherlock fandom since S3?

The fandom is definitely #notdead:

[](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNfIAP2nBhjNxva3s1oYWyv_nDghuCmNa8INN4wE96IKzjWYKtksd627_5d-6cisA/photo/AF1QipMWGbUpNtvax4MDyUYFO5uLCWOr2dFhd0rYbvAN?key=UzBPVlZCQ3p1S1VnWHVkM2tDR3lQNGs2VmRBM3BR)

Find out more **[here](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1pgpITGSU0MAdAzmwgBCvm5Q7gKWutsZGCmSg2rEy0eU/edit#slide=id.g57da48e4f_066). ** Also check out [fffinnagain](http://tmblr.co/muNvEQ34YsWtav2AFUPbBRg)’s excellent analyses in her [**#fandom stats** tag](http://fffinnagain.tumblr.com/tagged/fandom-stats) for a deeper dive into questions like whether more people are leaving or entering the Sherlock fandom.

## What do we know about fandom demographics?

[centrumlumina](http://tmblr.co/mRhAyj8oMsimrvSMX44skHQ) has done some great **[survey work](http://centrumlumina.tumblr.com/post/63208278796/ao3-census-masterpost)** on this topic (for fandom more broadly, not just Sherlock).  


## What was that Sherlock fandom survey you were talking about during the UnlockedCon panel?

That was [unreconstructedfangirl](http://tmblr.co/mrqVdfsU025hmKZSuqSPy4g)’s **[Banging Sherlock](http://unreconstructedfangirl.tumblr.com/banging_sherlock) **survey.  


## Any statistical Sherlockian fanfic recs?

But of course! ;)

****[Winter holiday fic recs](http://destinationtoast.tumblr.com/post/66622054141/20-great-sherlockian-winter-holiday-fics-i-know)  
[Rare pair and gen holiday fic recs](http://destinationtoast.tumblr.com/post/104213854989/sherlock-rare-pair-and-gen-winter-holiday-fic)  
[Crack fic recs](http://destinationtoast.tumblr.com/post/115534435024/toastystats-cracktastic-sherlock-fanfic-this)

**Author's Note:**

> Comments welcome, but I’m in the middle of a massive fandom stats backup due to Tumblr purge, so I may be slow to respond.


End file.
